Edward smallwood lane



(No Model.)

E. S. LANE. PORK ATTACHMENT.

No. 519,717. Patented May`15,1894.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD SMALLWOOD LANE, OF BIRMINGHAM, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO FORDHAM do SMITH, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

FORK ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters lPatent No. 519,717, dated May 15, 1894. Application led January 3, 1894. Serial No. 495,555. (No modell) Patented in England April 30, 1891, No. 7,462.

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD SMALLwooD LANE, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Warwick, England, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Fork Attachments, (for which I have obtained a patent in Great Britain, No. 7,462, bearing date the 30th of April, 1891,) of which the following is a specification. y

My invention relates to an improved device for cutting, dividing or reducing viands at table, and it consists of an attachment that can be applied to an ordinary table fork, the same consisting of cutter plates having cutters or teeth adapted to project through the prongs ofthe fork and cfa sheath adapted to fit over the prongs of the fork and keep the cutter plates in position, the object be ing to cut, divide or reduce in size viands for the convenience of persons having defective teeth or weak digestion. I attain this end in the manner shown by the accompanying drawings in' which- Figure l is a view of the device applied to a fork and looking upon the inside of such fork. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the device. Fig. 3 is a view of the sheath or cutter holder detached showing its inside face. Fig. 4 is a side view of one of the cutters detached, and Fig. 5 is a View in plan of the blank from which the cutter is struck up.

Throughout the several views similar parts are marked with like letters of reference.

The sheath or cutter holder is struck up from a flat plate of sheet metal having perforations c for the cutters corresponding to the openings between the prongs of the fork; a2, are turned over flanges under the side portions `of which the side prongs of the fork are received and under the top portion of which the points of the prongs of the fork are received. a3, is a tail piece of the sheath terminating in a clip a4 which will clip with a spring action upon the fork .under the shoulders l), thereof. The cutter plates are of steel and have cutters or teeth c formed on their edges. These cutter plates after being hardcned and finished are set to a curvature approximately greater than that of the prongs 5o of the fork as shown by Fig. 4.

When applying the device to the ordinary table fork the cutter plates are placed into the sheath with the cutters or teeth c, extending out through the perforations a; the prongs of the fork are then pressed down onto the cutter plates so as to overcome the spring action of the cutter plates and slide forward until the prongs take up a position under the flanges a2, of the sheath. The tail 6o piece 0,3, of the sheath is then pressed up to the fork-handle and the clip a4 sprung on. to the handle below the shoulder b, so holding all together.

lt will be obvious that the number of perforations in the sheath or cutter holder, and the number of teeth on the cutter plate or plates, will depend upon the number of prongs on the fork.

I wish it to be particularly understood that 7c I do not limit myself to the precise details of construction hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, but thatI hold myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A device applicable to an ordinary table fork for cutting, dividing or reducing viands So at table; consisting of one or more cutter plates carrying cutters or teeth c; and of a sheath or cutter holder having perforatlons a to correspond with the openings between the prongs of the fork to receive the cutters or teeth of the cutter plate or plates, having turned over flanges a2 to engage with the sides and ends of the prongs of the fork, and having a tail piece a3 carrying a spring clip a4 to engage with and grip the handle of the fork, 9c as set forth.

EDVARD SMALLWOOD LANE.

Witnesses:

T. J. OsMAN, JOSEPH LAKE, Bot??l of 17 Gracechurch St., London, E. O. 

